First Baptist Academy preparing for 2023 high school football season

Reporter: Zach Oliveri Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
First Baptist Academy
First Baptist Academy in training camp. CREDIT: WINK News

Training camp for the upcoming high school football season is underway for First Baptist Academy in Collier County.

While classes are still days away, football training camp has begun. Celebrating their 2022 state championship is over, and the team’s focus is honing in on the long season ahead.

“It was great, but you know we still got this year. Still got a lot to prove coming off this year,” said Tommy Cusick, a safety for First Baptist Academy.

Although the Lions won the state championship last season, that doesn’t mean the 2023 team can’t learn from what the team did right to win that title.

“I mean just doing the little things that are the fundamentals of football doing them better than your opponent. You know all of a sudden at the end of the game, you’re winning,” said Billy Sparacio, head coach for First Baptist Academy.

Losing ten starters on defense and six starters on offense from their 2022 state championship team, First Baptist Academy will have a brand new look for the upcoming season. So, those seniors who have experience will need to show the younger players what it means to play like a Lion.

“Being a team and doing your assignment. Like last year like what our defense did last year. You know we didn’t have a huge d-line but they did their assignment. they worked their butts off. And they got it done and all throughout the playoffs we no one pushed them around even though they were undersized,” said Cusick.

“I can tell some of the newer guys are a little bit shy. Once we get the season rolling a little bit I can tell we’re going to have a lot of those younger kids step up and get stronger. And start to know their stuff and become valuable assets to the team,” said Brett Rossano, a lineman for First Baptist Academy.

The new pride of Lions are on the hunt for back-to-back titles.

“I’m going to be real with you. Of course, we talk about getting back to where we were. I mean that’s the expectation,” said head coach Sparacio.

“We know not everyone’s got high expectations for us, but we’re here to prove them wrong,” said Cusick.

First Baptist Academy starts its 2023 season on Aug. 25 when they host Estero High School.

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